Wake County voters elect four school board members

Wake County school board oversees $2.2 billion budget

The Wake County Board of Education manages the district superintendent, sets public school policies, and approves the annual budget. That budget currently exceeds $2.2 billion.

Voters will also decide on a $680 million bond measure to fund school building renovations and new equipment. A dedicated property-tax levy will finance the bond if approved.

Chicago ends 30 years of mayoral control with board election

3, 2026.

Voters will select one person to serve as school board president and one to represent their specific community. This transition to a fully elected board follows a 2024 process where the city elected 10 members and the mayor appointed 11.

The new school board president will gain full voting power in January. The current president only holds a tie-breaking vote.

Candidates compete for Chicago school board seats

The current election season involved more than $10 million in campaign spending. A total of 51 candidates filed to run, though some withdrew or faced removal due to paperwork challenges. Two incumbents run without challengers, and three districts have only one candidate on the ballot.

Jessica Biggs, Hilario Dominguez, and Victor Henderson compete for the first elected school board president seat. Biggs has support from the CPS support workers union and the Common Ground Collective. Dominguez receives backing from the Chicago Teachers Union, while Henderson is an independent candidate who funds his own campaign.

Ed Bannon, an incumbent appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, runs against retired police officer Margie Luczak. Michelle Pierre and Claudia Peralta compete in District 1b.

Ebony DeBerry seeks reelection in District 2a against Illinois Department of Children and Family Services attorney Hector Morales. Debby Pope and Kyna Lenhof compete for a two-year term seat along the Lakefront. Daniel Basco remains on the ballot despite suspending his campaign to support Lenhof.

Norma Rios Sierra seeks to retain the seat Mayor Johnson appointed her to in 2025. Political newcomer Peter Gonzales challenges her with backing from school choice advocates.

The Common Ground Collective spent significant funds to oppose Rios Sierra and support Gonzales. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools spent heavily on advertisements and mailers for Gonzales. Rios Sierra and Gonzales hold differing views regarding the opening of additional charter schools and the implementation of letter grades.

Incumbent Carlos Rivas Jr. faces a rematch against Jason Dónes in Humboldt Park. Both are Latino men who attended selective enrollment high schools and taught through Teach for America. His campaign PAC and special interest groups spent over $300,000 to support him.

Dónes receives support from the CTU and the Our Schools political action committee. The Our Schools committee sent mailers last week attacking Rivas for a 2018 incident at the Noble Network of Charter Schools involving allegations of unwanted touching and excessive drinking. Rivas and Dónes share similar positions on school closures, ratings, and artificial intelligence use in classrooms. Karen Zaccor, Ellen Sherratt, and Angel Alvarez compete for the District 4a seat on the North Side.

California voters decide on governor and statewide propositions

California voters decide on a new governor and 14 propositions today, November 3, 2026. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton compete to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom. Both candidates cite affordability as a priority but propose different plans to curb rising costs.

Proposition 2 would alter state budget-reserve rules. It would increase the rainy-day fund and require longer-term debt-payment obligations.

Proposition 3 would make permanent the existing income tax increase for individuals earning more than $371,000. This threshold is adjusted annually for inflation. A yes vote makes the tax permanent, while a no vote allows it to expire in 2031.

Proposition 5 would change the recall-vacancy process. It would separate the removal of a statewide official from the selection of a replacement. The measure requires a special election or appointment for vacancies.

California candidates face off for statewide offices

Democratic candidate Fiona Ma and Republican Gloria Romero compete for lieutenant governor. This position sits first in the line of succession, presides over the state Senate, and serves on higher-education boards.

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta seeks a second full term against Republican challenger Michael Gates. Gates is a former Huntington Beach city attorney who worked in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in 2025. Bonta highlights gun-violence prevention, consumer protections, reproductive rights, and his record of legal battles against the Trump administration.

In the race for insurance commissioner, Jane Kim and state Sen. Ben Allen seek the office that regulates the insurance industry and manages consumer complaints amid rising costs and wildfire-related losses. Weber campaigns on election-security enhancements, protecting voting rights, and maintaining voting access. Wagner supports Proposition 39’s voter-ID requirements and faster ballot-counting results.

Republican Richard Barrera and Democrat Sonja Shaw contest the superintendent of public instruction seat. This nonpartisan elected official leads the California Department of Education.

Texas voters choose representative for vacant District 23 seat

Voters choose a representative for the vacant U.S. House District 23 seat in a special election. The seat became vacant in April after Congressman Tony Gonzales resigned following an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.

He previously lost to Gonzales in the 2024 Republican primary runoff by 354 votes.

Campaign finance reports show Herrera raised about $3.1 million, compared to $1.1 million raised by Padilla Stout. The district covers more than 58,000 square miles and includes over 800,000 residents.

Demographically, the district is about 60% Hispanic, 30.5% white, and 5.6% Black. Republicans won the district in each of the last six elections. Pete Gallego was the last Democrat to represent the district, serving from 2013 to 2015.